Cross My Heart
by Sea of Hazel
Summary: Uploaded under new Pen Name. As war erupts among the galaxies, Seiya is sent to temporarily protect the Light of Hope in her senshi's absence. But when it comes time to leave, will he be able to keep his promise and return to her?
1. The Princess of the Moon Kingdom

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine, yadda, yadda, yadda... i'm sure   
you've heard these before so there's no need for me to repeat them.  
AN: This is a Seiya/Usagi fic that takes place during the Silver   
Millenium but starts off when they're little. I definatly think   
that Seiya deserves Usagi more and that's pretty much why i'm   
writting this (that, and i'm bored) but that doesn't mean i don't   
like Mamoru. I adore Mamo-chan, but he's so cold! While Seiya is   
sweet, and cute, and loves Usagi, and is so protective of her, and   
so on... although is a little conceited... but that just makes him   
all the more funnier and cuter! Plus, since he is like this, it's   
more fun to write. Okay, I suppose i'll stop going on about how   
much i love Seiya-chan and let you read the story!  
  
Oh, and don't forget to read the notes at the bottom!  
  
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Chapter One: The Princess of the Moon Kingdom  
  
  
  
The small princess stared out the window with mild intrest,   
immersed in her own thoughts as the rain beat steadily against the   
palace walls. It hardly ever rained on the moon, and it almost struck   
her odd that it would rain when there were no clouds to fall from.   
But then again... nothing really surprised her anymore. She was the   
soul heir to the kindom of the moon, the most powerful and peaceful   
kingdom in the galaxy, and as such she grew up surrounded by magic   
and miracles... things most people could only dream about. But as such,  
when the time comes she will be forced into a marriage with some   
stuck-up prince and would spend the rest of her thousand years   
protecting the Silver Millenium with the power of the Ginzuishou.   
It was a obligation she didn't want.   
But her fate had already been decided.  
She drew in a deep breath as her head collapsed to her arms atop   
the windowsill, her unusually dull cerulean eyes staring aimlessly   
into the star-ladden sky. Her senshi, both inner and outer, had been   
given leave to visit their families, leaving the small princess with   
absolutly nothing to do. Two whole weeks without them was pure torture   
to the mind of a five year old. Giving one last glance at star-lit   
heavens above her, she crawled into her large bed and promptly fell   
asleep.  
  
  
A cool breeze drifted through the open window, ruffling the   
thin bed sheets that surounded the sprawled out princess and awakening   
her from her peaceful slumber. She yawned and groggily rubbed the sleep   
from her eyes in an attempt to regain her vision, before sliding off her   
bed and slipping on a flowing white dress. She quickly pinned her ankle  
length golden hair into her royal hairstle before running out into   
the lavish silver hallways and down the ornate staircase towards the   
dining room, half expecting to find her senshi waiting for her. But, alas,   
they wouldn't be there, she remebered sadly. Her frown quickly faded   
as her beautiful and elegant mother came into site.  
"Okaasan!" she said, her golden pigtails bouncing with enthusiasm   
as she leapt into her mother's awaiting arms.  
"Ohayo, my darling. Did you sleep well?"  
The small princess nodded vigorously and the queen carefully set her  
back on the marble floor, smiling as the female of her two advisors   
entered the room.  
"Queen Serenity, Queen Kakyuu wishes to speak with you. She says it   
is important."   
"Thank you, Luna." she said to the small feline, who bowed her head   
and exited the room at her wards command.   
"Serenity, i must take this call. It is a beautiful day outside, so   
shall we have a picnic?"  
"Hai!"  
The queen giggled at her daughter's enthusiastics.  
"I shall see you in a little while then, my darling."  
And with a gentle kiss on the small girl's forhead, Queen Serenity   
gracefully left the room, her long silver dress flowing behind her.  
  
  
"Queen Serenity," a small hologram of a woman dressed in elegant   
velvet clothes said, a frown creasing her crimson lips.  
"That woman, Beryl... she's already conqured several neighboring galaxies.   
You know she is trying to gain control of the Ginzuishou. And at such a   
critical time, why did you give the the supreme princess's senshi leave?"  
The queen sighed as she sat down at her desk, staring thoughtfully out   
the window.  
"With each of them protecting the surrounding planets, it will be more   
difficult for the enemy to reach the moon. Besides, they would be   
worried sick had their families been left to defend the planet alone.   
And what good would worried senshi bring?"  
"Serenity... should our efforts fail, your child is our last hope. We   
must protect the Ginzuishou, and therefore, princess Serenity.   
She is... the galaxy's light of hope."  
The queen's gaze shifted to the woman, tears forming in her violet eyes.  
"She's getting so strong... and with such a kind heart, you know she'll   
use the full extent of the Ginzuishou to save our universe. I can't   
sacrifice her..." she trailed off, her body trembling at the   
thought of losing her precious only daughter.  
"Serenity... they have a strategy, it will be years before the war   
reaches your solar system... so do not worry. By then, maybe our forces   
will have distroyed that evil woman." Queen Kakyuu comforted, before   
regaining her royal posture and continuing.  
"But, in any case, you must not leave her unguarded. I will be sending   
my daugher's strongest senshi, their leader, to the moon... he will   
protect the supreme princess in her senshi's absence."  
"But... what of princess Kakyuu?"  
"She will be safe. A few days ago she was sent to a distant planet   
with her five senshi... their leader and his brothers had remained  
here in case our planet suddenly fell under enemy attack."  
The queen stared at the small hologram momentarily, her brow creased in   
thought, before smiling kindly.  
"Very well. When shall we be expecting him?"  
"I'm glad you see it my way, i was worried you would put up a fight." she   
said as she giggled before continuing.   
"I have already made arrangements for him to reach the moon by later   
this evening... and in two weeks, as soon as her highness' senshi   
return, i will arrange for his departure."  
"He shall be well taken care of, i assure you."  
The woman bowed respectively and thanked her as the hologram began to   
blur, her last sentence barely escaping her lips before the picture   
dissapeared completely.   
"His name... is Seiya."  
  
  
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Alright, here's the thing, i don't know if i am going to continue this story  
so i'll need your opinions. Sooo... 5 reviews and i'll put out the  
next chapter, 10 and i'll put out two, ect. This is just so that i'll know that  
i am not wasting my time writing this story. Thank you!   
  
  
Sea of Hazel 


	2. The Boy With Sapphire Eyes

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon (gasp!). It belongs to the genious,  
Naoko Takeuchi.  
AN: Here's the second chapter! Hurray! Bet by this point you're   
wondering about the title of this fic, huh? Don't worry, it is relevant  
to the story! And by the way, in this fic Seiya is two years older than  
Serenity. Not much of a difference, but it just makes it easier.  
Well...that's really all i have to say right now so... e-mail me!  
  
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Chapter Two: The Boy With Sapphire Eyes  
  
  
  
"Ne, Luna?" princess Serenity said as she stared thoughtfully up at the sky.  
The cat looked up at the mention of her name, her nap having been interrupted.  
"Hai?"  
"What did queen Kakyuu want with my mother?"  
"I don't know. She didn't say."  
The princess sighed and collapsed to her back atop the feild of   
flowers. Her mother's clear purple eyes had become unusualy clouded,   
as though something was always on her mind. She was worried.  
"Shall we have our picnic now?"  
Serenity smiled at the soft familiar voice and shifted her gaze upward   
where her mother stood smiling down at her.  
"Hai."  
  
  
Serenity sighed, utterly bored, as she waited patiently alongside   
her mother for this 'company' to arrive, somewhat confused as to the   
reason why it was so important that she be there. She was rarely   
obligated to greet the palace's guests, and for her mother to suddenly   
order her at a moments notice had somewhat worried her. But before she   
had a chance to think any further on the subject, a ship of an unfamiliar   
kingdom landed and unloaded it's passengers, who greeted the royal   
family with the utmost respect.   
"Queen Serenity, by order of queen Kakyuu, queen of Kinmokusei, i bring   
you the leader of princess Kakyuu's senshi, Sailor Star Fighter."   
The queen nodded and the three heavily armored gaurds stepped aside   
to reveal a young boy with waist length jet black hair tied back into a   
ponytail. The boy bowed respectfully, all composer still in tact as   
he stood before the Moon Kingdom's royal family, renowned for their   
unsurpassable power and beauty.  
"Seiya, i presume?"  
"Hai." he said unwaveringly, head still bowed.  
"I'm sure queen Kakyuu has informed you of our arrangment. You   
shall protect the supreme princess in her senshi's absense, and   
therefore, you will protect her with your life. Serenity will show   
you to your room and you have the run of the palace and it's grounds.   
If there are any problems, please inform me and i shall do everything   
in my power to accomodate you. I will leave you to get better aquainted  
with Serentity."   
The queen smiled kindly as she bowed before dissapearing back into   
the palace. The princess' brow creased in confusion at her mother's   
words as she stared at the boy before her, now known as Seiya, the   
one who would apparently be her temporary senshi. He lifted his   
fathomless sapphire eyes from the ground and his gaze shifted to the   
small princess.  
"A--" he started, eyes wide and cheeks crimson, crumbling the cool   
and calm image she had of him mere seconds ago.  
"Hello. I'm Serenity."   
She smiled, innocence present in all her features, as she curtsied.   
His blush quickly faded and a smile creased his lips.  
"Konnichi wa, Odango," he said as he playfully tugged on one of her   
pigtails. "I'm Seiya."  
"O-Odango...?" she repeated, momentarily faultering at the nickname.  
He laughed as he watched her surprise give way to an angry pout, only  
serving to make her all the more cute.   
"My name is SERENITY! Not ODANGO!"  
"Ahh, don't be mad, Odango... i'm just playing with you."  
"So stop calling me that!"  
"Iie... i don't want to."  
She hesistated, slightly taken aback by the thought of a senshi who   
refused to obey a princess' orders.  
"Why not?"  
His lips curved upward into an almost misceivious smile.  
"'Cause you're so cute when you're angry."  
She opened her mouth to retort but quickly shut it as a light pink blush   
blossomed over her cheeks and left her at a complete loss for words.   
He smiled, having landed the affect he was hoping for.  
"Would you please show me to my room now, Odango?" he said, patting   
her head of golden sunlit hair.  
"H-Hai."  
  
  
Princess Serenity walked swiftly down the ornate halls, an overly   
smug senshi following close behind. Odango... the nerve of that boy! She   
was a princess, not a food item! How could a boy a mere two years her   
senior be so rude! And he was a senshi, no less!  
She stopped walking, her anger having had grown to enormous proportions,  
and clentched her small hands into white-knuckled fists.  
"Ano... Odango? Why are we stopping?"  
She noticably flintched at the nickname, but continued to remain silent.  
"Odango...?" He tried again to claim her attention.  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she exclaimed, turning to glare at him with flashing  
cerulean eyes.  
She waited confidently for an apology, but instead found a smile to be   
tugging at his lips, soon to be followed by laughter. She stood there,   
dumbfounded, until his laughter subsided.  
"You should consider yourself lucky, Odango... i don't give people   
nicknames. You're special." he said as he leaned forward to kiss her   
cheek.  
She only stared at him, wide-eyed, having been at a loss for words for   
the second time that hour. She then turned on her heels and crossed her   
arms with a 'Hmp!', before continuing down the hall towards a large   
door. She haughtily pushed it open.  
"This will be your room for the duration of your stay. Please make   
yourself comfortable. The maids will be in for fitting within the next   
hour, and they will make for you whatever you want. I will see you tomorrow.   
Goodnight." she said with little emotion aside from anger as she turned to leave.  
"Matte, Odan... Serenity!"  
She obidiently waited, half expecting him to laugh at her again,   
but curiousity had somehow gotten the better of her.  
"Gomen... if you don't want me to, i won't call you 'Odango'...   
just don't be mad at me, okay?"  
She turned to look him over for any hints of mockery hidden within   
those fathomless blue eyes of his, but found him to be sincere.  
"Oyasumi, Seiya." she smiled kindly as she left the room.  
He sighed, a smile bearly visible on his face as the door closed   
and the light footsteps dissapeared down the hall. He momentarily wondered  
if this new feeling was know as a "crush," something he had yet to   
experience. Well, if it was, he reasoned, he deffinatly liked it.  
"Oyasumi... my Odango..."  
  
  
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Thank you for the reviews! Next chapter = 5 more! Tehehe...  
  



	3. The Strongest of Friendships

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: Usual stuff here folks...  
AN: And it's another chapter! I'm sure all of you lovely readers are   
pissing your pants in excitement right about now. So do you like it   
so far (hopfully)? I know, i know... not much mushyness yet, but ya   
gotta start somewhere, right? Right?? ::silence:: Okay -_-;... on with   
the story then...  
Reviews would be nice. (HINT HINT).  
  
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX  
  
  
Chapter Three: The Strongest of Friendships  
  
  
Serenity awoke the next morning as a cool breeze entered through   
the open window, carring the distant sound of cheers and the clanging of   
swords throughout the room with it. She sat up, her eyebrow raised at   
these unfamiliar noises, before jumping off her bed and running down   
the hall towards the palace entrance.   
  
  
The small princess sheilded her eyes from the bright morning   
sun as her gaze shifted to the crowd before her. She looked over the   
mob of cheering maids, guards, and palace employees, her curiosity growing   
with each clang of metal against metal. Spotting a small gap between   
them, she pushed her way through the many people and out the other   
side, wondering what exactly could have caught the attention of so many   
people.  
"Ah--Seiya?!"  
She watched in amazement as the young boy blocked every attack thrown   
at him by the massive guard- a man with the advantage of being a full   
three times his size- and had somehow managed to not even break a sweat.   
The man attempted to catch him off guard, but Seiya only smirked and  
maneuvered his way out of it with ease, which only angered the man who bellowed   
and charged again. The crowd's cheers grew louder as   
this small boy managed to evade the brute before him several times over,   
and had nearly hit him in the process.   
"GO SEIYA!" she heard herself yell, her heart racing in excitment.  
The maid beside her glanced down in surprise after hearing the voice   
of a child... and her face fell.  
"It's the princess!"  
Serenity looked up with brows creased as the people began warning eachother   
of her presence and quickly leaving the area, suddenly fearing for their jobs.  
"Princess?" Seiya repeated as his gaze flickered through the throng of surrounding   
people for the familiar 'odango' hairstyle.   
The guard, unaware of the reason why the boy had stopped but seeing   
it as an opportunity, jumped into the air with his sword poised. Seiya   
quickly leapt from his path, but not before the sharp metal blade sliced   
through the skin of his left arm. Serenity gasped as he winced in pain and fell  
out of his fighting stance, grasping his upper arm.   
"...Seiya?"  
Her eyes widened as she watched crimson blood seep out between his   
fingers trail down the sleeve of his navey silk shirt.  
"Seiya!" she screamed as she ran towards him.  
He smiled reassuringly.  
"Odango... ara... gomen ne, i promised i wouldn't call you that,   
didn't i?"  
"It's alright, i don't mind... just let me see your arm..."  
He obidiently released his grasp around his arm, wincing as the wind hit   
his wound.  
"Your highness, shall i send for a medical officer?" the guard said   
nervously, half expecting to get blasted off the face of the moon.  
Serenity only shook her head, and the man breathed a sigh of relief   
before bowing and hastily exiting the scene.  
"It's deep..." She said mostly to herself as she inspected the gash,  
careful not to cause him any further pain.  
"Hold still, okay?"  
"Hai."  
She brought her hands to the wound and closed her eyes as the cresent   
moon on her forehead began illuminating a brilliant white light. The   
light then coiled around around his arm, soothing him with it's   
theriputic warmth, before dissapearing completely and leaving only   
a trail of sparkles to fall to the blood-stained ground.   
"There now. All better!" she said happily as she opened her eyes and smiled at the   
boy beside her.  
He glanced down at the wound, only to find nothing but a tear in the  
material of his sleeve. He then turned back to her, smiling softly as   
his sapphire eyes searched through her cerulean.  
"You have such a warm shine, Odango..."  
She smiled, no longer bothered by the use of the nickname... in fact,   
she almost liked it. It was endearing, though she would never let him know.  
"It's all i can do... i don't have any real powers yet."  
She sighed in regret as she continued.   
"Gomen nasai, Seiya. It was my fault you got hurt." she said quietly,   
casting her eyes downward.  
"Iie, it was mine... so don't worry about it."  
She smiled.  
"Why were you fighting him anyway?"  
"'Cause he said he could beat me."  
He smiled as he watched Serenity laugh for the first time since they'd   
met, realizing she was even cuter when she was happy. His smile broadened   
as he realized that it was him who had made her happy.  
And from that moment on, he vowed he would never let anyone make   
her sad... no matter the cost.  
"You were good... i was cheering for you."  
"I'm glad." he said as he leaned back on his hands and turned to her.  
"Hmm..." he started, a frown marring his face.  
"Nani?"  
"...Guess i can't really call you Odango if you don't have any."  
She brought her hand up to gently pat her head for the familiar balls   
on either side, before realizing she hadn't done them this morning...   
nor had she gotten dressed, she quickly remembered as she glanced down   
at her attaire in dismay. Seiya laughed as he lifted himself from the   
pavement and offered his hand, which she hesitantly took.   
A bolt of electricty seemed to extend through their bodies at her touch, and as her  
fingers glided into the palm of his hand, he felt as though   
something he had searched the world over for had finally been   
returned to him, making him complete. He felt... whole.   
She quickly removed her hand from his grasp and the feelings faded,   
leaving his heartbeat to return to its normal pace. Serenity only picked   
herself up from the ground and dusted herself off, ignoring the emotions   
that had been so foreign to her juvenile mind.  
"Shall we?"  
He nodded silently, supposing the whole experience had been all in his   
mind... she didn't seem to notice anyway.  
  
  
Serenity emmurged from her room in a newly cleaned navy blue dress   
to find Seiya waiting patiently against the wall, his eyes clouded over in   
deep thought.  
"Ne, Seiya?" she called, waving a hand in front of his face.  
He didn't respond.  
"Seiya!"  
"Uh, er, nani?" he said quickly, startled out of his reverie.  
"What were you thinking about?"  
He shook his head, uncrossing his arms as he stood.  
"Nothing... it was nothing."  
She stared at him skepticaly before shurgging it off and taking his hand.  
"I'm starving! Let's go eat, ne?"  
He smiled through his blush and nodded, allowing her to lead the way to   
the dining room.  
"Okaa-san!"  
Queen Serenity turned to her daughter and smiled, her gaze traveling   
downward to their interlocked hands. An emotion he couldn't fathom passed   
through her violet eyes momentarily, before dissapearing and returning   
to their usual kind disposition.   
"Ohayo... Serenity, Seiya."  
  
  
Princess Serenity breathed in deeply, her diamond-encrusted eyes   
fixed on the firey heavens above her. Orange and red streaks blazed across   
the sky in contrast to the large blue planet overhead, the stars barely   
begining to emmurge. Seiya stared at her, a soft smile gracing his   
features, as the lights played across her face and turned her long   
golden tresses an ivory-yellow.  
"Do you have sunsets like this on your planet?"  
"No... not like this. Your's is much prettier." he said as his gaze   
returned to the sky in thought.  
She smiled, seemingly pleased with his answer, before a frown marred   
her face and she turned to him.  
"Why are you not with your princess? Aren't you supposed to be protecting   
her?"  
He hesistated, turning to lean his back against the intricate stone   
railing of the balcony.  
"She's safe. She was sent to another planet with the rest of her senshi   
and her powers were cloaked, but my brothers and i wanted to stay   
and help defend our planet in case the war reached us. My brothers   
stayed, but i agreed to come here and protect you while your senshi   
were gone."  
"Do you... regret it?" she said quietly, as if she were afraid to ask.  
Seiya gave a short laugh and turned to her, his sparkling eyes speaking   
in volumes.  
"Of course not! Besides... I know that if you're alive, the universe   
still has reason to hope."  
She smiled and let her gaze return to the newly star-ladden night sky.  
"Someday... i want to see your sunset..."  
He nodded, but it didn't reach his eyes. He knew the war was   
on the verge of toppling his small planet... it was just a matter of   
how long they could hold them off.   
"It's getting cold, Odango, let's go inside." he said, taking her   
small hand.  
She complied somewhat absentmindedly, but soon turned and allowed   
him to lead the way back into the palace, her hand still held warmly   
within his.   
  
  
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX  
  
  
Okay, i've decided just to put the chapters out like maybe every week...  
or whenever i want. I have eight chapters of this fic done so i thought, ah,   
what the hell... i'll just put them out. But of course, reviews are welcome!  
Ja matta ne~  



	4. The First Battle

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: Same stuff... don't sue... i have nothing.  
AN:  
"I want to help you, I want to rescue you, if I can do it.  
I would even throw away my life, all for you..."  
~Seiya's single: Ginga Ichi Mibun Chigai na Kataomoi (A Galaxy of   
Difference: One-Sided Love)  
  
"I love you so much it breaks me, no words are enough."  
~Tasuki's single: Setsunakutemo Zutto (Even though it's painful, always)  
(from Fushigi Yuugi)  
  
::sniffle, tear, sob::   
Ahhh... i love these guys...  
  
o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o  
  
  
Chapter Four: The First Battle  
  
  
  
As the days melted into a week, the half-way point of the   
duration of Seiya's stay passed by leisurely, no gossip of the war   
being passed between the palace's employees, aside from the usual  
rumors of course. He had suspected it when he arrived, but now, by   
the way she carried on so happily, he knew the small princess hadn't   
been told exactly when he was leaving: not even fifteen minutes after   
her own senshi's arrival, and that was if he was lucky. Over the past   
week they had become quite good friends, always together, and always   
laughing... to onlookers they seemed almost like siblings by the way   
they teased and bickered playfully with one another about trivial little  
things. He smiled as he watched her lean forward to smell the sweet   
fragrances within the royal gardens, a soft smile tugging at the corners   
of her rosey lips. He tried to picture what she would look like when   
she was older, but couldn't seem to see past the petite little girl   
full of curiousity and innocence and life. He sighed ruefully, realizing   
he didn't even know if would still be alive by the time she matured, the  
way this war was going...  
He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind, determined to make   
the best of his time here, and to let himself feel happiness one   
last time before he was forced to enter such a meaningless battle.   
"Ne, Seiya-chan? What's wrong?" Serenity questioned, genuinly   
concerned by the far off gaze in his unusually darkened eyes.  
"Um, Nothing."  
He smiled, softening the effect of his hastened response.   
"Tonight my mother is throwing a ball..." she paused, letting the   
statement sink in before continuing.  
"Of course, you're not obligated to come but... will you go with me?"  
"Of course i will, Odango. You couldn't get me to stay away if you   
wanted to."  
She laughed, reminding him why this small girl was the Silver Millenium's   
carefully gaurded pride and joy. She had such a kind aura about her   
that just drew you towards her and made you love her. Even he,   
alien to their culture and civilization, knew how important she was.   
"What's this ball for?"  
"It's really just a formal baquet for the Duke and Duchess of Terra,   
a country near Mare Serenititis, to congradulate them on their   
wedding... My mother is insisting i go."  
His smile faded as he turned to her, worry evident in his intense   
gaze.   
"Won't it be dangerous to have you around so many people? What if   
some of Beryl's--"  
She smiled, quickly silencing him as she brushed a strand of his   
jet-black bangs from his face nonchalantly, ignorant to the blush   
she had provoked.   
"Don't worry, Seiya-chan... my mother would be able to sense their   
pressence. Hmm... i'd better go get ready before it starts! I'll see   
you in a little while!" she said as she jovially skipped away, leaving   
no room for objection.  
Seiya sighed, wondering exactly how she got out of that one, before   
a soft smile creased his lips and he dissapeared into the palace behind her.  
  
  
As nightfall came, so did the swarms of tuxedos and gowns.   
It seemed as though everyone with half a title was there, dancing,   
laughing, shoving their noses in the air... exactly what you'd expect   
from the friends of the Duke and Duchess. They themselves were quite   
the pair... he had almost laughed outright when he saw the couple,   
their noses ten feet above the rest.   
After his talk with Odango this morning, he had became nervous about   
the whole idea of this ball, and had sought out her mothers advise.   
He sighed as he remembered the queen's words:  
'Seiya, do not let Serenity out of your sight, and always keep her   
within the crowds... i have a bad feeling about tonight.'  
She had said it with a look of such intense emotion, one he   
couldn't even begin to fathom.   
But how was he supposed to watch over her if she didn't even show up?  
He sighed again. The queen wasn't the only one who had a bad feeling,   
and that was what worried him.  
  
  
Serenity smiled as she looked herself over in the large mirror,   
eyeing the dress she had so carefully picked out. It was white,   
sleevless, with straps crossing in the front and tieing behind her   
neck. The material was simply exquisite, made from the most notable   
couturier in the solar system. Specs of lavanders and cerulean blues   
added color to the flowing gown, changing with the angle veiwed from.   
Her hair, still done up in the royal hairstlye of 'odangos', as Seiya   
had so bluntly put it, was tied with small blue ribbons that flowed   
the length of her golden tresses, accentuating her cerulean eyes.   
Giving one last glance at the mirror, she turned and exited the   
room, walking swiftly down the empty hallways towards the ballroom   
where the gala was being held.  
  
  
Seiya's sapphire eyes darted between the crowds, his patience   
having worn off and his nervousness being to show underneath his   
calm exterior. The feeling of worry had intensifed over the last   
few minutes, almost to the point of pain. He knew he had to find   
her... fast. With that last thought his collected exterior completely   
crumbled and he began running for the stairs, ignoring the 'my   
word!'s' and the 'why i never!'s' that resulted from pushing his   
way through. His heart was pounding, as if to tell him he was too   
late, that he wouldn't make it... but he shoved the thoughts   
resolutly from his mind and picked up speed.  
He stopped, only a mere few steps before the stairs, as a malicious   
laugh rung out from above him, gaining the room's attention. The   
crowds gasped at the sight that greeted them.  
"Serenity!" the queen screamed, her violet eyes glued to the man   
holding her precious daughter at the railing.  
Her eyes were closed, Seiya realized in panic as he tried to   
gather his chaotic thoughts.   
"Please... let her go... She has no powers! She's usless to you!"   
the queen pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.   
The man only chuckled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.  
"Now what fun would that be?"  
His voice was almost as cold as the crazed look in his eyes. He   
didn't seem to be one of the Beryl's, they had powers, but this   
man didn't have anything but muscles.  
"Odango... ODANGO!" he heard himself yell, his body begining to react   
on its own.  
Serenity slowly opened her eyes at the sound of his voice.  
"Sei...ya...?"  
She was weak, and her whole body ached... it took almost all of her   
strength just to utter his name. She now realized she was in   
someone's arms, but it wasn't comforting like her mother's or senshi's,   
he was almost hurting her. The man glanced down in surprise at the   
small girl in his arms, as if it were a miracle that she would be   
awake, much less speak. Seiya, noticing his preocuppied gaze, carefully   
crawled up the winding staircase.  
"Hmp. No matter. Say goodbye to your daughter, my queen." he said,   
mocking her with a half bow before bringing the small princess high above   
his head.  
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
A beam of light erupted from the star-shaped mechanism in Seiya's   
hand and traveled straight through the man's chest, a look of utter   
surprise crossing his features as his last breath died on his lips...   
but not before letting the princess roll out of his grasp and into   
the fifty foot drop to the marble floor.  
"SERENITY!"  
"ODANGO!" Seiya screamed as he lept over the railing and covered   
her body with his, turning them in mid-air so that his body would cusion   
her fall. He laughed inwardly at the irony of it... he would die before he   
even had a chance to fight in the war.  
  
But as long as his Odango lived, he didn't mind.  
  
Serenity clutched the material of his shirt, knowing she was now   
in Seiya's warm protective embrace. She dimly realized they were   
falling and her body reacted, turning her long golden tresses to   
silver as the cresent moon on her forhead began to glow, eveloping   
the room in a soft light. They slowed as they came to the   
marble floor and were gently laid down, but he never loosened   
his tight embrace.  
"Serenity!" the queen breathed as she pushed past the gathered   
crowds to her unconsious daughter and lifted her from Seiya's   
body, crying softly into the child's silver hair.   
She then stood, an army of gaurds following close behind, as she   
carried the small princess back to her room, leaving her advisors  
to quickly usher the shaken people from the palace.  
  
  
o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o0()0o  
  
  
Dun dun dun! What will happen next?? You're just gonna have to wait till i   
finish the next chapter to find out ;p ! But don't worry, i should have it   
done really soon cause i happen to be a person who gets really annoyed with   
waiting for the next chapters to come out, especially if it takes months.   
  
Anyways, as you've probably noticed, i've made it like Serenity's powers  
hadn't awakened yet and that brought them out (kinda like chibi-usa, but   
it didn't take 900 years... Serenity's still just five).   
  
Whelp that outta do it for this AN crap, so see ya next time! REVIEW!!  
Ja ne!  



	5. Promises Made to be Kept

Cross My Heart  
Author: Chibi Haruka  
Disclaimer: By now i'm sure you've realized that i do not own   
Sailor Moon nor anything pretaining to it (execpt this story)   
and that if you sued me you'd only get about thirty-five   
cents... and that's if your lucky. (I am beyond broke.)  
AN: The next chapter will conclude their childhood years   
so don't worry! The romance is about to begin (took long   
enough, ne?). Remember to review!  
  
(())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())  
  
  
Chapter Five: Promises Made to be Kept   
  
  
Queen Serenity collapsed to the mahogany chair at her desk, her   
age begining to show for the first time in two hundred and thirty-seven years.  
"Serenity... you should get some rest." a small hologram of queen Kakyuu   
said, a frown marring her ivory face.  
"So, i take it you've heard, then?"  
"Yes... how is she?"  
In only five hours, news of the attack on the Moon Kingdom's princess   
had reached even the farthest galaxies, leaving fear and uncertainty   
in its wake. The man had been working for the Beryls, yet he was   
powerless in the realms of magic- his purpose only served to get   
through the queen's defences undetected. She had to admit, it was a   
brilliant strategy. Had man had completed his mission and killed   
the princess, it would nearly ensure the Beryl's victory, but if he   
died, the princess' senshi would return to the moon, leaving their   
own planets wide open for attack and sparing the enemy valuble time   
in reaching the moon. It seemed as though they had willingly fallen   
into a trap, Serenity mused silently.  
"The medical officer says she'll be fine, that she's only in a   
dreamless sleep... but she hasn't woken up yet." she said,   
tears glittering in her violet eyes as she stared absentmindedly   
out the balcony window.  
Queen Kakyuu's crimson lips curved into a soft smile, sympothizing   
with her oldest and dearest friend.  
"Well then i'm sure she'll be fine and up bouncing off the walls   
again in no time."   
"Yes, i'm sure you're right." the queen chuckled lightly, nodding   
her head in agreement as she shifted her gaze to the woman and   
continued.  
"I'm sure you've already heard that she has released her powers...   
I wasn't expecting that much from such a small child, but i suppose   
we had already known her powers would quickly surpass my own. Her  
hair is now completly silver. She is now recognised as the   
Supreme Princess and my heir. This also means she has become an even   
larger threat to the Beryls... i can only pray they are held off long   
enough to allow time for her growth..."  
"Do not worry, Serenity... if she could release her powers at a mere   
five years of age, i'm sure she'll be more than ready for them by   
the time they break through the galaxy's forces, that's if they   
haven't been distroyed already. Which reminds me, how is Seiya?   
I'm sure he's worried."  
Serenity turned to her, a genuine smile resting on her lips for   
the first time since the attack.  
"He hasn't left her side..."   
  
  
Seiya smiled softly as he brushed a strand of silver hair   
from the small princess' face, his hand still cradling hers tightly   
at her side. Maids bustled around the room and the feline advisors   
were nearly shouting orders in frustration, but everyone seemed to   
have the same melancholy gaze. He knew that with this turn of events,   
her senshi would be returning soon... and with them here, he would no   
longer be necessary. One week. Just one week worth of her to be kept  
within the deepest recesses of his memory, a place where she would   
surely be held forever. But, only memories didn't seem to be enough.  
"Seiya."  
He looked up at the queen, knowing the words she would inevitably   
utter but hurting none the less.  
"I want to thank you personally for saving the princess. That was   
a very brave thing you did, and you shall not go unrewarded... of   
course, it will not be a public reception, but i will make sure the   
galaxy knows what you have done for this kingdom."  
"That's not necessary. Thank you anyway." he said quietly, forgeting proper   
docorum as his gaze returning to the girl at his side.  
The queen sighed, staring at him as he gazed at her daughter, his   
brows creased in worry and his fingers laced through hers. It was   
for the best, she reminded herself... yet it seemed the tug of  
destiny was telling her that she shouldn't be seperating these two, pulling  
at her mind and telling her that they'd find eachother no matter how far apart.   
She shook the thoughts from her mind and continued. After all, such   
a love was highly forbidden.  
"In any case, you will be rewarded, it is our custom and the least   
we can do. And as Serenity's temporary senshi, you will no longer be   
needed as of tomorrow afternoon... her senshi were worried sick and   
had insisted their leave be revoked. Queen Kakyuu has already prepared   
your transportation, and i'm sure she and your brothers will be glad  
to see you. I am truly sorry... i know how much she means to you."  
_No, you don't,_ Seiya mused as he mustered up the best smile   
he could manage and turned to her.  
"Hai. I'll be ready."   
She smiled and left the room, praying she was doing the right thing...   
besides, war or no war, his kingdom did need him.  
Artemis turned to him after clearing the swarms of people from the   
room, having arranged for a least one guard to be outside her door   
at all times.  
"Seiya-kun, you should try to get some rest... it's nearly midnight."   
"Iie. I want to be awake when she wakes up. I want to be with her." he   
trailed off dejectedly, his eyes never leaving his beautiful, albeit   
temporary, princess.  
Artemis nodded and left the room, giving one last rueful glance at   
the child he served under and loved dearly, before nudging the door  
shut with his paw.  
  
  
Serenity slowly opened her eyes, remembering the last moments   
before she had slipped into unconsiousness, and shuttered at the   
memory. She then turned her attention to the window where rays of   
light streamed into the large room and the curtains billowed languidly   
across the marble floor, nearly lulling her heavy eyelids back to   
sleep. She was still extremely weak, but somehow seemed to be growing   
stronger with each intake of breath. Her brows creased in puzzlement   
as her gaze shifted to her side, noticing a familiar warmth being   
wrapped around her left hand, and smiled at the sight that greeted   
her. Seiya slept peacefully against the bed from his position in the   
chair, his head resting on one arm and griping her hand with the  
other.   
"Oh my! Princess Serenity, you're awake! How do you feel, my dear?" a   
maid exclaimed as she entered the room, her smiling green eyes   
shining in contrast to her greying hair.  
Seiya stirred momentarily, his brow furrowed at the sudden loud voice,   
before breathing in deeply and falling back into a deep sleep.  
"I feel fine, thank you." she said truthfully, most of her strength   
having returned to her.  
"Oh, that's wonderful! I'll go get your mother, she's been worried   
sick, the poor dear... Oh, i see your friend has finally fallen   
asleep! The poor child refused for hours! I'll have the cook prepare   
your breakfast, i hope your hungry!"  
Serenity nodded vigorously and the maid left the room, still talking   
happily of the princess' awakening.  
"Odango...?" Seiya said groggily as he stared at her, somewhat   
disoriented.  
Realization quickly dawned on him and he jumped to his feet, throwing   
his arms around her.  
"ODANGO!"  
She giggled against his tousled coal-black hair, clutching the soft   
material of his navy-blue attair.  
"You scared me half to death, you know that?"  
She smiled as he leaned back to stare into her eyes, a soft smile   
tugging at the corners of his mouth.   
He had already done so much for her... he had saved her life,   
protected her, even given her strength... and now he had watched   
over her through the night, never once leaving her side.  
"Serenity!" the queen exclaimed as she ran through the door, two   
overjoyed felines following close behind.  
"Okaa-san!"  
Queen Serenity kissed her child's forehead, her lips barely grazing   
the golden cresent moon symbol.  
"I'm so glad your awake, my darling. You're senshi were worried   
too... they have requested that they return immediatly."   
The small princess' eyes lit up at her mothers words, a broad   
smile creasing her lips at the thought of seeing her precious   
friends again.  
"Hontou?! When will they arrive?" she asked with all the inthusiasm   
of a five year old as she sat up, all events prior having comletely   
left her head.  
"Serenity! Don't get up so fast, you need to rest!"  
She ingored Luna's comment, who, noticing this, sighed in exasperation   
as the small girl kept her widened cerulean eyes on her mother. The   
queen giggled, silently thanking the gods for her daughter's fast   
and easy recovery, and proceeded to answer her question.  
"Within the hour, i believe."  
Serenity threw her arms around her mother's slender waist, thanking   
her repeatedly.  
"Serenity, you really should try to get some rest. I have things i   
must attend to, so i'll check on you in a while, okay?"  
The princess nodded and her mother gently kissed her forehead before   
exiting the room, her advisors following in suit. She then turned   
to the boy at her side and smiled.  
"Seiya-chan, this means you'll get to meet my senshi! And then we   
can all play together!"  
Seiya sighed and smiled softly, his brows creased at the thought   
of how naive this girl must be to think he would still be welcome   
here when they returned. But she deserved to know, he reasoned,   
even if it wasn't exactly his place to tell her.  
"Odango, i--"  
"Princess Serenity, the royal senshi have arrived." a maid said,   
unknowingly interupting him.  
Serenity's smile grew as she laced her fingers through his and ran   
out of the room, unceremoniously dragging him behind her.  
"Oy, matte Odango!"  
She only giggled, picking up her nightgown with her free hand to   
increase her speed. He laughed in spite of himself... she really   
was adorable, and she was so happy. How could he even think of   
distroying that which he had vowed? To make her happy... it was   
a promise he intended to keep, even if it meant not saying goodbye.  
  
  
(())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())))(((())   
  
And so concludes chapter five! What do you think so far? I write   
everything off the top of my head so that might explain it if you   
don't like it (or it might not). Whelp, ja matta ne!   



	6. Until We Meet Again

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: I own Sailor Moon. Oh wait, no i don't... heh, heh...   
nevermind then...  
AN: Nothing this time. Stuff's all at the bottom so be sure to read, kay?  
  
"I don't want your apologies. If you care about it so much... then   
give me a present."  
"A present...?"  
"Yes. Plus all the things i done for you in the past, give me a   
'reward'. One that i've always wanted."  
"Yeah? Sure! I'll give you anything you want!"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah! As long as it's not too expensive... What do you want? Clothes?   
A cd? Oh yeah, kitchen appliances!"  
"Aya... i want you."  
~Yuuhi and Aya (Ayashi no Ceres)  
  
Ahhhh i also love this guy..... he's so sweet... ::drool:: ...  
  
' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . '. ' . '. ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' .  
  
  
Chapter Six: Until We Meet Again  
  
  
Princess Serenity smiled as she reached the entrance of the   
palace, her hand still tightly gripping Seiya's at her side. The humid   
afternoon air, still moist with the morning's dew, was warm against   
her creamy skin... though was somehow not nearly as conforting as   
the warmth from the hand she was holding. She sighed, a soft smile   
resting on her rosey lips. The light breeze danced through her long silver   
tresses and seemed to beckon her towards the large ship before her,   
encrusted with the symbol of her kingdom, the same as the one on her   
forehead. The door opened and one by one her senshi, her friends,   
piled out and kneeled before the queen, their faces coated with worry.  
Seiya exhaled ruefully as he stared at the six people a mere fifty   
feet from them, each one still in formal attaire. He then turned to   
his Odango and removed his hand from her grasp.  
"So what are you waiting for? Go see them."  
The words seemed to burn his throat, making him feel nauseous at the   
thought of the meaning behind them. It was as close to a goodbye as   
he could come without breaking his promise... she was happy, so who   
was he to interfere with that? No one but her temperary senshi.  
She nodded and ran towards them, first gaining the attention of the   
tomboyish girl with short blond hair.  
"Koneko!" she yelled as she ran towards her princess and wrapped her  
arms around her, lifting her from the ground.  
"Uranus-chan!"  
The other senshi gathered around them, wiping the tears from their   
eyes as they hugged the small girl in Uranus' arms.   
"Uranus, must you always hog her?"  
She smirked in response to the elegant girl with wavey green hair   
beside her, before carefully setting the princess down.  
"Of course. Why? Are you jealous, Neptune?"  
Neptune only smiled mysteriously, before kneeling to hug her princess.  
He vaguely noticed that four of them were no older than Serenity, while the other two   
were taller, seeming to be about his own age.  
"Seerreee... we were all so worried!" one girl wailed as she hugged   
her, the top of her waist length golden hair pulled back by a red bow.  
Serenity giggled and appoligzed, but, try as she might, couldn't escape   
from Venus' death grip around her waist.  
"Serenity-baka! You had us pacing the floor and here you're perfectly   
fine!" the girl with black hair and flaming purple eyes accused, crossing   
her arms against her crimson dress, but her softening eyes belied her scowl.  
"Be quiet Mars... So Sere, how are you feeling?"  
She turned to the girl with almost boyish chestut brown hair pulled   
back into a ponytail and emerald green eyes, and smiled broadly.  
"Much better!"  
"I'm glad, Sere-chan, we were very worried when we heard."   
The girl with short blue hair and eyes to match hugged her gently, breathing  
a deep sigh of relief.  
"Ah-- Sere, what happened to your hair?!"  
"Venus don't scream! I'll be deaf because of you!"  
"Mars! Why are you always so mean?!"  
  
  
Seiya smiled as he walked back into the palace, content in feeling the warmth  
his Odango's happiness.  
"Seiya... your transportation has arrived. Please follow me."   
He nodded and Queen Serenity smiled, leading him towards the back of the   
palace where a large crimson ship awaited them.   
  
  
The princess smiled softly, listening to her friends talk of   
their kingdoms and families, laughing every so often. It seemed like   
it had all been a dream- her senshi leaving, meeting Seiya, the   
attack- everything. And now she was awake, surrounded by her friends   
and together as they had always been.  
"Minna, i want you to come to meet Seiya! I'm sure you'll like him,   
and he's a senshi too!"   
The inners nodded vigorously, but the two outers hesitated, glancing   
briefly at each other.  
"You shouldn't see him anymore, Koneko. He could be dangerous." Uranus   
said bluntly as Neptune kneeled, her brows creased as she stared up   
at her small princess.  
"Princess, he's not from this galaxy... we don't even know anything   
about him..."   
Serenity couldn't believe she was hearing this... how could they say   
such horrible things about the person who had saved her life? Who had   
protected her in their absense? Who was prepared to give his life for   
her? She pulled away from Neptune's gentle grasp on her shoulders,   
tears falling from her azure eyes and splating quietly upoun impact.  
"Iie! I can't do that! I won't! He's... he's my important friend,   
so why should it matter where he's from?!"   
"Kitten, please..."  
"Leave me alone!" she cried, pushing past her friends and dissapearing   
into the palace.  
"Matte, Sere!"   
  
  
Seiya sighed as the door opened and three guards stepped out   
from the ship, kneeling before the queen and their kingdom's senshi.  
"Sailor Star Fighter-sama, the queen of Kinmokusei has requested your   
return."  
He nodded and turned to bow deeply for Queen Serenity, before   
obidiently following the guards. His jet black hair, tightly tied   
back into a ponytail, wipped violently around his body against the   
wind... but he never noticed. All he could think about was his   
Odango. Every second they were together, even if it was only a   
week, was imbeded within his memory. He could still hear her   
melodious laughter, see her pink lips pout as he teased her,   
watch her eyes light up at the smallest things... How was he   
supposed to live after this? In only one week, she had entwined   
his life to hers so gently yet so strongly. She had given him what no one  
else could- he had felt happiness one last time.  
"Seiya!"  
He stopped just before the stairs and turned to the familiar voice,   
his eyes wide, but his arms outstretched... it never ceased to amaze   
him that no matter how hard he tried, his body always reacted on its   
own when it came to her.   
"Odango!"  
She threw herself into his embrace, crying against his chest as her   
small fingers tightly grasped his shirt, silently pleading for him   
not to go. He closed his eyes tightly as he took in the feeling of   
holding her. Part of him never wanted to let go, but at the same time,  
he knew he didn't have a choice.  
"Please don't go, Seiya! Please stay... Please stay with me!" she   
cried, her mother and senshi staring sadly at them from behind.  
He smiled, gently running his fingers through her soft hair until her   
sobs subsided.  
"Odango... you know i can't."  
"Why not! I can get my mother to--"  
"I'm a senshi, Odango. Just like your senshi, my job is to protect   
my kingdom and my princess... i have to go back." he interupted,   
silently wishing the circumstances had been different.  
He pulled away to gaze into her beautiful cerulean eyes under long   
coal black lashes and smiled, removing the ring from his finger.  
"Here. Keep this safe for me until i can come to get it back."  
She looked up to him, her brows creased and a slight frown marring   
her face.  
"Promise?"  
"Cross my heart."  
She smiled through her tears and took the silver ring encrusted   
with a gold star from his hand and slipped it onto her finger,   
smiling softly as it shone in the sunlight.  
"Remember, you promised! I'll be expecting you." she said sternly.  
He nodded and she wrapped her arms around him, her small tears   
rolling off her creamy cheeks and onto his shoulder. He held her   
as tight as possible, wanting never to forget the feeling of   
holding her, before untangling his arms and following the guards   
up the stairs.  
"Ja, Odango..."  
  
  
' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . '. ' . '. ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' . ' .  
  
  
The End! Heheheh... just kidding. But it is the end of this chapter   
and their childhood. As you probably noticed, Saturn and Pluto weren't   
there... i figured that Pluto, being as ageless as she is, is still   
gaurding the gates of time and knows that Sere is fine, and Saturn   
would only be two years old so there was no sense in bringing her   
into it (she would barely be able to talk). But don't worry all you   
Saturn and/or Pluto fans, they'll make an appearence sometime ^_^ .  
  
Hey, did ya notice i finally put in the title? Yep, so for anyone who  
had been wondering where the hell i thought of that title, there it  
is! Make sense now? (i hope so anyway.)  
  
Okay... something about the ages: In this fic, Serenity and all the   
inners are five now, Seiya has just turned seven, and Uranus and   
Neptune are seven.  
When Pluto shows up, she is ageless but she'll look like she's   
about twenty and Saturn will be thirteen.  
Whelp, that should do it! Review! Ja ne!  



	7. A Galaxy Apart

Cross My Heart  
Author: Chibi Haruka  
Disclaimer: Its not mine, although i do like to pretend it is...   
especially Seiya-chan ^^  
AN: Hiya! As you've probably noticed, i put most notes at the bottom   
so that i don't ruin the story for you... so just read the bottom   
when you're done, kay? Review!  
  
  
~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@   
  
  
Chapter Seven: A Galaxy Apart  
  
  
Princess Serenity gazed up into the star-ladden heavens above   
her, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the small silver ring on the   
opposite hand. Eleven years. It had been a full eleven years since she   
saw him, since he promised her he would return... yet there was still   
no word from him. Had he forgotten his promise? Or worse, had he   
forgotten her? Every night the same questions would roll through her   
mind, repeating themselves over and over until she grew tired and fell   
asleep. She couldn't even remember what he had looked like, after all,   
she had only been a mere five years of age. She could only recall his   
name... Seiya... and his eyes... blue. The same blue as she stared at   
night after night from her balcony railing. She smiled. He had the most   
startling pair of sapphire eyes to ever grace a being... she could   
remember always being so intrigued by those eyes...  
Her head collapsed to her arms as the silver hair casacading down her   
back shifted softly in the breeze, barely brushing against the marble   
floor at her feet. Why she was still thinking of a boy and a promise   
from eleven years ago was beyond her... she had more important things   
to think about.   
She was sixteen, about the age she should begin looking for possible   
suitors in order for her to take her rightful place at the throne and   
become the keeper of the Ginzuisho (according to her little furball,   
Luna, anyway). Then again, she didn't really see why there was any   
reason to look... they always found her, seeking to woo and court   
her as if she were some mindless wench to be won. But if there was   
one thing she prided herself on, it was her wit. As much as she had   
always hated her studies, be it on their solar system, galaxy or   
anything else, she was a remarkably fast learner, almost as much so   
as Mercury. She never grew tired of the looks on the men's faces   
when she showed them up by joining in the conversation, speaking   
knowledgeably on the subject and even expressing her own opinions.   
Of course, it would more then take them by surprise and they would   
ultimatly become unearthly quiet for the rest of the afternoon...  
and she would have lost yet another suitor and gained yet another   
scolding (so generously bestowed upoun by Luna, of course).   
Her people loved her to no ends and would give their lives for her   
without hesitaion, but she had actually become a proverb to them.   
'She has the wits of the princess and the persistence to match,'   
they would say... but it never bothered her, nor was it meant to.   
In fact, she prided herself on it.   
Men thought her unreachable as the most important person in her   
kingdom and untouchable as most the beautiful; unlike Jupiter and   
Mars, each very beautiful, but outgoing and easy for men to talk to.   
She had grown into a body and height she had once thought impossible   
for herself... 5'3" with long silver tresses nearly the color of   
white diamonds cassacading out from two 'odangos' perched on top of   
her head (she had no idea why she would think of her hair as a food   
item, of all things, but it just seemed to fit). Her body, once   
petiete, was now the envy of every woman in the galaxy... with her   
endless legs, impossibly slender waist, full bust, and ivory skin   
that accentuated her amazingly deep cerlean eyes under long sooty   
eyelashes. She momentarily thought of Seiya, and what he would think   
of her now that she was a woman, or even what he had thought of her   
when she wasn't.  
She quickly ushered the thoughts from her mind and left the balcony,   
climbing up onto her large canopy bed made from the softest materials   
in whites and silvers, and almost immediatly falling into a deep slumber.  
  
  
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"  
The scream was nearly drowned in the uproar, but it succesfully   
completed its intention and killed the men adavancing on him. All   
around him bodies draped in crimson covered the blood-stained grass,   
seeming to stretch out for miles... but the armies of men just kept  
coming, and kept fighting, and kept dieing. It was a process he had   
seen for nine years. Only two years after he left the peacefull   
and happy Kingdom of the Moon had all this begun. He had seen and   
done things no child should ever have to, he had even watched helplessly   
as five of his friends, his fellow senshi, breathed their last breath   
and joined the thousands of lifeless bodies at their feet.  
And it was all because of the Beryls and their meaningless   
battle to retrieve what was never theirs.  
The only thing that had kept him alive all these years was a promise   
he made when he was seven. He almost laughed outright at the irony of   
it. She probably didn't even remember him, much less his promise, but   
a promise is a promise, and he always kept his word. A soft smile   
creased his lips as he thought of her... her and her always happy   
disposition.   
He had heard of her, only once, a couple of years ago while he was   
talking with several soldiers, much of them boasting their terrible   
war stories as they poured themselves another glass of booze. One   
of them, nearly falling off his chair he was so inebriated, told a   
story of a distant cousin who lived near the Moon Kingdom's palace   
and had actually seen the princess. She was quite a sight, he had   
said, with her long ivory-silver hair and big blue eyes, didn't have   
too bad of a body either. The man had a good laugh at that, picturing   
what his cousin must have seen as he sipped away at his near empty   
glass. He had tried to learn more from him, but the man only passed   
out with a large thud on the floor and was quickly ushered out of   
the small pub.  
"...LASER!"  
Sailor Star Fighter yelled the phrase again, wiping out serveral more   
men with the beam of white light that shone in contrast to the blood   
red sky.  
"Figher! We can't hold them anymore!" Healer screamed from beside him   
as they dodged the enemy's attacks.  
"Healer's right, we can't do anything else!"  
He turned to Maker, his coal black jair whipping violently around him   
in the fierce winds.  
"So after nine years, we just give up?! If we did, all of our people   
and friends will have died for nothing!"  
"And if we don't, we'll be dead too! Then who'll protect our princess?!"  
Fighter paused at Healer's words and turned, his gaze traveling the   
barrior of soldiers battling evil in every direction, screams of pain   
echoing through the feild. Blood seemed to be draped about everything.   
And he knew... it was time to call it quits. They had done everything   
in their power for nine long years, now all they could do was get the   
princess to safty.  
"Lets go." he said, becoming surrounded by an orb of light as he sped   
towards their castle, his brothers following in suit.   
  
  
Morning encased the palace like a velvet glove, seeming to   
turn everything it touched to gold. Serenity slowly opened her   
eyes, her dream, or rather, nightmare, scampering out of her head   
before she could grasp it. It was the same nightmare she had been   
having for years... the same war, the same blood red sky, but somehow   
it was always different, as though she was actually there, watching   
people's blood drip to the ground as a woman's malicious laugh rung out   
over them. And she could never remember any of it the second she   
opened her eyes.   
She sat up, throwing her legs over the side of her bed before slipping   
on a flowing navy-blue dress with gold lining and venturing out into   
the lavish halls of the palace.   
A soft smile creased her lips as Uranus and Neptune came into site,   
chatting quietly amoung eachother, their fingers laced together   
intimately between them.   
She and Venus (the princess of the planet that stood for love and   
she had therefore been gifted with an almost uncanny sixth sense for   
it) had known the two had been in love for as long they could   
remember, but when news spread of the scandolous affair between   
two princess' and they never bothered to dissmiss the accusation,   
it only confirmed their suspicions. They were the scandle of the   
century, and the reporters must have known it by the way they were   
constantly buzzing around the pair and all who knew them... much to their   
families embaressment. They never seemed to mind though, even when   
the kings and queens of Uranus and Neptune practicaly disowned them,   
leaving their only daughters nothing but the obligated title of   
heiresses. Eventually the whole initial shock wore off and the   
reporters went on to their next assignment, but neither parent   
had spoken to them since, and it had to have been a good three   
and a half years ago.   
Serenity envied them, the way they had such a profound love for   
each other that they had refused to let anyone tear them apart,   
no matter the consequences... and they had come out of the whole   
ordeal with an even stronger bond, and became even happier together.  
It was the kind of love she wished for herself... a love that didn't   
apply to the rules. But then, she wasn't just any princess. She was the   
heralded princess of the Moon Kingdom, and as such she had to live   
up to other people's expectaions... which meant she would more than   
likely marry only for the purpose of bearing the next heir. Love was   
never an option, and for that, she hated being who she was.   
Her mother had already researched possible canidates, and at the top   
of her list had been prince Endymion, the prince of the deep blue   
planet that hung in their sky. They had yet to become a part   
of the Silver Millenium and were the only planet in the solar system   
who hadn't, but the queen and king of Earth had proposed an agreement   
when she had been a mere twelve years of age: if the princess of the   
Moon agreed to marry their son, they would give their alligence to   
Queen Serenity and the Silver Alliance. This way, the Kingdom of   
Earth would recieve a higher stature, and the Kingdom of the Moon   
would reicieve a king, and hence, an heir. The only person who didn't   
benifit from this arrangment was Serenity herself.  
Rounding one last corner, she came to a large door and knocked lightly.  
  
  
Queen Serenity sighed for the umpteenth time that hour,   
glancing between the two young women before her.  
"I knew this time would come, but... so soon? What of the Kingdom   
of Fanelia? Have you heard any word from them?"  
"No, my queen. They've been distroyed. All remaining survivors have   
fled to the Angel Constelation." the woman said, an emotion passing   
through her deep red eyes the queen couldn't even begin to fathom.  
"And the Schezars? What of them?"  
"The same, my queen. All posible reinforcements have either fled or   
are protecting the kingdoms within their allience."  
The queen sighed yet again. Now that the Beryls have wiped out nearly   
every powerfull kingdom within the vicinity of the nearest three   
hundred galaxys, their victory seemed nearly ensured. She doubted   
they would even stop there... they would continue distroying major   
kingdoms and gaining new allies (only when they chose the later of   
the choices, destroying their empire or joining them, of course)   
until they were strong enough to go after what they had origionally   
set out for... the Ginzuizhou, the most powerful crystal in the universe.   
It seemed as though now all they could do was wait.  
"Come in." she said after a light knocking was heard from the door,   
breaking the silence that had befallen the room.  
"Ohayo, mother!"   
"Sere-sama!"  
Serenity turned just as the thirteen year old girl with violet   
eyes and jet black hair jumped into her arms, nearly sending them  
to the ground.  
"Saturn? And Pluto! It's been ages since we've last seen you! What   
brings you here?"   
She smiled as she hugged Saturn, before realizing that had been a  
question she was not welcome to ask and she quickly changed the subject,   
much to the three's relief.  
"How long will you be staying?"  
"Not long, my princess. We must return as soon as possible."  
Serenity had expected that answer but frowned none the less. The   
two rarely visited, what with Pluto gaurding the gate of time and   
Saturn protecting the other planets in the senshi's absense, so she   
figured her kingdom must be approching a crisis, if not already there.  
"You may leave now, Pluto, Saturn. There is nothing more to be said."  
The two nodded in unison and turned to their princess, who hugged   
them briefly before the room was engulfed by a warm light and they   
vanished.   
"Is there something you need, my darling?"  
Serenity shook her head. She knew her mother was busy and, even if   
she didn't say it directly, she wanted to be alone.  
"No... I just wanted to say good morning. I'll see you in a little while,   
then?"   
"Of course."  
The queen smiled as her daughter quietly left the room, before returning   
to her ever-present thoughts. Her kingdom was in danger... and there were   
no available reinforcements. She momentarily thought of queen Kakyuu. Her   
daughter's senshi were among the strongest in the universe, second only   
to Serenity's... but then, she suspected they would be having troubles   
of their own and needn't be bothered by her worries. It had been a long   
time since she last talked to her dearest friend, in fact, it had to be   
just months after Seiya's departure.   
Seiya. Oh, how Serenity had missed him... she would mope around the  
palace for weeks, and the queen had considered herself lucky just to   
get a two-word answer out of her child. But according to Kakyuu, Seiya   
hadn't been much different... he became distant, and not even the   
loud-mouth of his two brothers could get a rise out of him when he   
would usually have knocked him out cold. She had laughed at that,   
picturing the two of her daughter's most miscievious senshi bickering   
in false hope that the other would back down. Of course, neither ever   
did. Queen Serenity chuckled lightly in remembrence, allowing herself   
to slip into reminiscence and away from the concerns that seemed to   
always occupy her thoughts. Her sovereignty was peaceful and happy   
then, all chaos of the war a million miles away and seemingly out of   
reach.   
She sighed... who'd have thought it would come to this. She couldn't   
even predict wether or not the Silver Millenium would emmurge from   
this battle in tact, much less alive.  
"Queen Serenity." a masculine voice said briskly, awakening her from   
her reverie.  
"Yes? What is it?"  
A semi-translucent screen appeared before her, revealing the captain of   
her guards and several other palace employees buzzing about behind   
him, working diligently at their computers.  
"Your Highness, three unidentified spheres of light have been spotted   
heading directly towards the palace in excess speeds of two thousand   
miles per hour. Scan reports show signs of life, male, we believe. We   
await your orders, my queen."  
"Spheres of light? Do they appear to be slowing?" she asked quizzicaly,   
her brows creased in wonder at this new information.  
"Yes, my queen. But they do not appear to be a group of Beryl's."  
"Has any further data been collected?"  
"Only vague images, your magesty, they had been traveling too fast   
for our imagry systems to collect a decent image."   
"And no communication can be set up?"  
"No, my queen... it seems that they have nothing but a protective   
force surrounding them. No machinery of any sort was detected."  
The queen leaned back in her chair, staring thoughtfully at some   
imaginary point in space. It could not have been a group of   
Beryls, they may have technology and power, but not the raw power   
he had described. Only senshi were able to travel at such a high   
velocity, unprotected by a man-made devise. Nevertheless, she had   
to take extra precautions now that the war was drawing closer.  
"I want all royal guards, including the princess' senshi, at the   
palace entrance to await their arrival. Have the princess escorted   
to the maid's chambers until we are positive these people pose no   
threat... i don't want to take any chances. Do not fire until i   
give the word. I will be joining you at the main entrance hall."   
"Understood, my queen."  
Queen Serenity stood and the screen vanished. She knew very well what   
her decision could bring, but she was always one to trust her   
instincts... and her instincts were telling her to welcome them.  
  
  
Serenity sighed, utterly board and left in the dark as always.   
She had been nearly dragged to the maid's quarters by two of her own   
guards, telling her nothing but it had been the queen's orders. It   
annoyed her to no ends how her mother would keep things from her like  
this... for all she new, they could have been sucked into another   
dimension. And what's worse, her senshi hadn't been given the same   
treatment; one of the guards, after much persuation, had disclosed   
that little tidbit of information. She quickly drew in a deep breath,   
swallowing the urge to scream out in frustration as she clentched the   
material of her navy-blue dress.  
"My dear, calm down! I'm sure this will all be over with soon and   
the queen will tell us what's going on. Please don't get angry over   
it!" one of the older maids in the room exclaimed after noticing the   
fire blazing within the princess' deep blue eyes.  
If looks could kill, the maid mused, almost laughing outright as she   
realized her princess must be spending too much time with the firey   
princess of Mars. Oh, that child and her attitude... she nearly put   
the devil himself to shame! She giggled, but was quickly shushed by the  
princess' dagger-filled glance.  
  
  
The queen watched as the captain of her gaurds formed a quarter-mile   
long barrier of his men encircling the area where, according to their   
calculations, the three were expected to land. He was pacing and   
shouting orders like there was no tomorrow... but then maybe there   
wasn't, she mused silently as her gaze shifted to the clear sky. Of   
course, she highly doubted that.  
"They're reaching approximately seventy-five thousand feet, sir." one   
of the men said, adjusting his glasses as he stared into the screen in   
front of him.   
"Queen Serenity, do we not know who these people are? By the way they   
are traveling... might they be senshi?"  
The queen turned to the woman with short blue hair, a visor pulled over   
her eyes as she worked at the small computer in her hand.  
"That had been my first guess, Mercury, but we cannot confirm it until   
they have landed. They're traveling at an extremely high velocity, even   
too fast for our data-collectors and imagry systems."  
"Thirty-seven thousand feet, sir."  
"Alright men, no rounds will be fired until we have permission directly   
from the queen, understood?" The captain said as he turned to face his   
men, giving the last instructions to which they nodded and complied.  
As the three spheres of light became visable from directly in front of   
them in the clear blue sky, the princess' senshi quickly surrounded the   
queen, sheilding her from the firce winds. The earth shook as they landed,   
cracking the cement beneath them, and the light encompassing them   
dissolved. The smoke began to clear and they were able to make out three   
figures, masculine as they had expected, who then stepped forward,   
kneeling before the queen.  
"Step away from the queen!" the quards yelled, their weapons poised.  
But the three didn't move in the slightest, seeemingly unconcerned in  
the least by the guns aimed to kill.  
"I repeat--"  
"That won't be necessary." the queen inturrupted, her gaze shifting to  
the men.  
The captain, including everyone surrounding her, was momentarily taken   
aback, but he quickly bowed and signaled for his troops to lower their   
weapons. She then turned, smiling at the three as she spoke.  
"It's been a while, Seiya..."  
  
  
~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@ ~~`~@   
  
Waaa! ::dodges shoes and mouse pads:: gomen gomen! Bad place to leave ya,  
i know... Sorry, i just couldn't help myself... but hey, at least this   
chapter was longer, right?  
  
For those of you who have seen Vision of Escaflowne, you probably   
realized i used their names for the kingdoms... a tape just happend   
to be nearby as i was racking my brain for any sort of name, hence   
Fanelia and Schezar. Sorry about that. Anyways, i know this chapter   
was mostly talking (well not "blah blah blah" talking but thinking   
talking... er... you get the idea) but since it had been eleven years   
since the last chapter, i had to explain things that had happened   
within that time. Hope it wasn't too boring for ya...   
Ja matta ne!  



	8. Light of Hope

Cross My Heart  
Author: Sea of Hazel  
Disclaimer: The word 'disclaimer' alone should've given you a hint ^^. I  
am 'dis-claiming' Sailor Moon.  
AN: Yay! Seiya's finally here and they're finally adults! And it   
only took seven chapters -_-. Like it so far? Well, additional notes  
are at the bottom (don't forget to read, minna!), as always, so on   
with the story!  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Chapter Eight: Light of Hope   
  
  
"It's been a while, Seiya..."  
Seiya smiled. It certainly had been a while, he thought, just over   
eleven years... and yet the queen had not changed in the least. She   
was still beautiful, still elegant, and still appearing to be not a   
day over thirty.   
Seiya, on the other hand, had changed drasticly. In fact, had she not   
seen his eyes, she would never have guessed it was him. They were as   
fathomless and deep as she remembered them to be, but unlike the child   
she knew from so long ago, they seemed to be cloaked by an emotionless   
mask... even the soft smile he wore had never reached his eyes.   
He was strong now, no longer the lanky boy she once knew. Of course,   
he was not as much so as the palace's burly virile guards, but enough   
to give them the impression. It seemed strange that she was once able   
to read him like a book, but now she couldn't even decide if he was   
really smiling.  
His waist length jet black hair was still pulled back into a ponytail   
as he used to wear it all those years ago... and there was no doubt in   
her mind that the four boy-crazy inner senshi behind her were swooning   
over him and his brothers. The two at his side were equally handsom   
and their hair was pulled back into a ponytail as well, one with   
bluish-silver hair and mint-green eyes, and the other with brown hair   
contrasting bright violet eyes, but they didn't seem to hold the same   
air of confidence as the man standing before her. Yes, he was a man   
now... and it made her feel dreadfully old.  
"And these must be your brothers, then? Yaten and Taiki, if my memory   
serves me correct?"  
They nodded and she smiled, the same soft smile he remembered from   
when he was seven, still innocent in the ways of the war.  
"These are my daughter's senshi and the princess' of their own respective  
planets... Uranus, Neptune, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury."  
The four inners smiled, batting their eyelashes and giggling as though   
men were a rare find on their planet. Uranus only scowled.   
Seiya. She remembered him... how could she not? He had protected her   
princess while they were away, having been given leave by the queen.   
But he had been from another galaxy, and because there was a war   
erupting within kingdoms, he could therefore not be trusted.   
Queen Serenity chuckled, feeling a distinctive but faint power, and   
continued, regaining the men and women's attention.  
"And it would seem as though you'll be meeting the supreme princess   
shortly... she's just escaped."  
A broad smile, the first genuine one in years, creased Seiya's lips   
and his heart beat anxiously against his chest, longing to see the   
girl he had made a promise to all those years ago...   
His smile quickly faded.   
He despretly wished it had been under different circumstances. He had   
always wanted to come just because of her... not because this...   
"What?! How-- ooh that girl!" Venus exclaimed, not completely surprised   
that she had done such a thing, but angry with her nonetheless.   
Uranus smiled, turning to the sea goddess at her side.  
"It seems our kitten will be angry with us, ne..."  
"That idiot! Does she not realize why we put her there?! Geez, i'm   
gonna kill her myself for pulling a stunt like that!"  
Yaten stared at Mars increduliously, anger welling up inside him as   
he clentched his fists tightly at his sides.  
"How can you say that about your princess?! Be lucky you even have her!"  
Mars was at a loss for words as she stood there, her mouth slightly   
agape as this man yelled at her. Did he really think she would hurt   
her princess? The most important person in the universe to her? She   
had always teased like this... but no one had ever really taken her   
seriously.  
"Yaten, calm down..." Taiki whispered from behind him.  
The queen momentarily felt the emotions linning these three... such   
sadness and regret... and she wondered what could have happened to   
change them so. It must have been terrible, to have been able to   
transform such a joyful child full of laughter and life into a man   
with an emotionless face that nearly made even the unshakable queen   
uncomfortable.   
  
  
Serenity scowled as she marched across the cement, the loud   
clacking of her heels speaking in volumes. She was fuming. It had been   
surprisingly easy to escape the maids, and she smiled at her cleverness,   
silently patting herself on the back. She had persuaded a few maids to  
escort her to the chamber's restroom, explaining that she hadn't used   
it this morning (after all, she had been practicaly dragged to the   
room-- they really never asked if there was something she needed to   
do first) where she used a simple spell to transport herself out of   
the stall and outside the palace. She knew there was a chance her   
mother may have felt it, but it was a small price to pay for her   
escape. She wasn't helpless in the least, so she didn't see where   
they had gotten the idea that she needed to be sheltered and left in   
the dark when it came to her kingdom. She was a women, a full sixteen,   
not a child crawling at their skirts.  
She growled as she spotted her mother from behind the senshi, igorant   
to anyone else, including the three she was speaking with. She knew   
she had been expecting her by the way she turned to smile that   
all-knowing motherly smile, only serving to fuel her anger.   
  
  
Seiya turned in the direction the queen's gaze had fallen, and   
his eyes widened, crumbling the emotionless guise he had just moments   
before. It was her. The person he had waited what seemed   
like a lifetime to see... but at the same time, it wasn't her. It   
wasn't his little Odango, even if she still wore them... this was a   
women, every part of her vouched for that. She was the single most   
beautiful thing he had ever seen... a goddess would envy her, much   
less a mortal. Her skin was seemingly the color of the moonlight,   
contrasting to the deep cerulean eyes fixed on her mother. They held   
intellegence and fire, but by the way she was glaring, the later of   
the two was more predominate. Her hair, nearly the color of white   
diamonds, shifted softly in the breeze as small curls framed her   
face... his eyes then traveled to her full rosey lips, and he   
yearned to catch them with his own. She had grown into an amazing   
body, one he had never imagined for the petite girl he once knew.   
He could remember trying to picture what she would look like when   
she matured... but never in his wildest dreamest could he have   
thought up this. She was, understatedly put... breathtaking.  
"Sere! What are you doing out here?!" Jupiter exclaimed, tearing   
him away from his thoughts.  
The princess now stood before her mother, just within arms reach   
of him... yet she never even acknowledged his pressence. Maybe she   
had forgotten him after all, he thought dejectedly, casting   
his eyes away from her as he released the breath he had absentmindedly   
been holding.  
"Mother, how could you?! I am not a child and i do not deserve to be   
dragged into the maids chambers as if i were one!"  
She knew she should still be angry, but she suddenly wasn't in the   
least... she was too immersed in a different emotion, something she   
couldn't quite grasp but felt as though she should already know. Her   
heart was pounding so hard she wouldn't have been surprised if Earth   
could hear it... and it had taken effort just to keep her voice from   
quivering as she spoke.   
"I apologize, Serenity, you are right. But you shouldn't worry your   
senshi like that... had it been a real emergency and you were outside   
the palace, devastating consequences could have occcured."  
She glanced at her senshi and smiled apologetically, to which they   
returned the gesture. It was then she realized that there were people   
behind her, but she never had to look... she just felt them. That   
nagging sensation returned with this new revelation and she had the   
sudden urge to run into whosever arms were behind her, aquainted or not.   
She slowly turned, her eyes immediatly seeking his. They were beautiful...   
familiar. The color of a deep ocean against the night sky. But she   
couldn't quite place them, even as her heart, no, her very soul   
screamed itself hoarse in a language she could not understand. It   
seemed to be begging her to throw her body into his arms and to   
never let go, to let their souls become one and their hearts beat   
in unison... and in a way she wanted to, but her body was frozen, her   
eyes transfixed on his.   
The queen smiled as she watched Seiya, his eyes no longer nonchalant   
and dull but an unclouded brilliant shade of sapphire. She could see   
the child in him through those eyes...  
"Serenity, you remember Seiya."  
That name. It was that name... the name belonging to the person she   
had wanted to see since she was five. Aside from the vague image of   
his eyes, it was only memory her mind had allowed her to keep,   
soothing her at the mention of it yet tormenting her when she couldn't   
see the person it belonged to.  
"Sei...ya?" she whispered through parched lips, tears welling up   
in her enlarged eyes.  
But this was not her Seiya... this was a man. He was not the lean,   
lanky boy she so vaguly remembered from her childhood... this man   
was strong, tall, and the most handsom man she had ever laid eyes   
on. But those eyes... and that ebony hair... they seemed so familair.  
"Odango..." he breathed, his eyes never leaving hers.  
Odango... her nickname... the only name he had ever called her by.   
This must be her Seiya, no one knew of that name. Tears spilled   
forth as she gave in to her heart, her soul, and threw herself into   
his arms, crying against his chest as she clutched the soft material   
of his navy silk shirt. Seiya smiled, holding back his own tears as   
he held the one person that could erase all of his sadness, his   
grief, his hopelessness, tightly against him.   
"You kept your promise..."  
"So you didn't believe i would?" he teased as he gently kissed her   
shoulder, closing his eyes as he relished the feeling of holding her.  
"Never! I never stopped believing... i was always waiting for you..."  
He smiled. So she hadn't forgotten him after all...  
"Ahem." Yaten said from behind them, inturrupting their little reunion   
and effectively ruining the moment.  
"SHUT UP!" the inner senshi screamed at the little man, sucessfully   
scaring the hell out of him, before returning to their bawling.   
Taiki only sighed, pulling a few tissues out of his breast pocket,   
to which the girls quickly took and used to its full extent.   
The watery haired women wiped away a few stray tears as she grasped   
Uranus' arm, sucessfully holding her back from viciously murdering the   
man who dared to touch her Kitten.   
Serenity and Seiya smiled and reluctantly released eachother, turning   
to the queen as she spoke.   
"What brings you three here?"  
Seiya's eyes immediatly darkened, and from behind him she could see   
the other two cast their eyes away... she prayed to God they wouldn't   
tell her what she had already guessed long before she had asked that   
question.  
"Queen Serenity, we must speak with you... it's urgent."  
  
  
Queen Serenity collapsed to her throne after having cleared   
the room of all palace employees to ensure their privacy, smiling   
wanly at the men before her.   
"Now please, Seiya... what is it?"   
He sighed, removing a small mechanism from its case before handing  
it to the queen, who then pushed a small button and a hollogram appeared.  
"Kakyuu..." she whispered as leaned forward, staring at her dearest friend.  
She was pale, weary, and it seemed as though it was taking all of her   
strength just to speak.  
"Queen Serenity... if you are watching this message, i am dead."  
The queen gasped, bringing a shaky hand to her mouth in disbelief as   
tears began to cloud her vision.  
"I would also assume that my daughter's senshi, Fighter, Healer, and   
Maker, are with you. They are the only remaining royalty of our   
kingdom... the princess... is also dead..." she paused, choking down   
a sob, before regaining her royal posture and continuing.  
"The war began not two years after Fighter's departure from the moon,  
and we have been fighting ever since. Three years ago my daughter   
had sent the five senshi that had been protecting her to aid our   
kingdom... each of them died with in the next few years. Fighter,   
Healer, and Maker continued to fight from outside the palace as i   
protected it from with in... but when they realized there was nothing   
left they could do, they returned to protect me. By then my planet   
had become a planet of death... bodies and blood littered the earth   
as the sky darkened to an accusing red. A few days later, word came   
that the kingdom my daughter had been living on had been destoyed,   
and she was dead. I gave up after that... but the senshi continued   
to hold up my sheild around the palace, even when i protested.   
After a week their powers were drained and i was wasting away, so   
i've made this message for them to give to you. I ask only one thing   
of you, Serenity, please allow my daughter's senshi to protect   
your kingdom, and your daughter. She is the light of hope for so   
many people... only she can destroy that evil women. Fighter,   
Healer, Maker... i am so sorry i gave up, when you were so strong   
and continued even in such pain... please, as my last wish and your   
final mission, protect princess Serenity. I love you all dearly, so   
please, find happiness. Goodbye, my dearest Serenity..."  
The image blurred and faded, her last words dieing on her crimson   
lips, and a melancholy silence drapped over the emmense room. The   
princess turned to Seiya, tears falling from her enlarged watery eyes.   
How could this have happened to her best friend? And yet, she hadn't   
been there to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right.   
She wasn't able to hold him, whispering incoherent nothings as   
he cried, the way friends were supposed to. He had been alone.  
"Seiya..." she whispered as she crossed over to him, wrapping her arms   
around his neck.  
He remained motionless, clenching his fists at his side to keep   
from holding her... to keep from crying. He was a man. Men didn't   
cry... not him at least. Crying was useless, it never solved   
anything.   
But the way she held him, telling him it was all right and that   
she was with him, made him want to give in, to hold her   
until all his pain was washed away. And he did. His eyes closed   
in defeat as his arms wove their way around her waist and two warm   
drops fell to her shoulder, soon to be followed by more.   
And he realized, he needed her more than the air he breathed.  
"So what makes you think we want you? If you can't even protect   
your own princess, what makes you think we want you around ours?"  
"Nani?!" Seiya growled as he released her and turned, glaring at   
Uranus through his tears.  
"Uranus!"  
She ignored Neptune, keeping her cold unwavering gaze on Seiya. Her   
princess, next to Neptune, was the most imporant person in the   
universe to her... and these three senshi, who live a galaxy away   
and didn't even succeed in protecting their own princess, wanted to   
help protect her kitten? She wouldn't allow it... she was too important   
to her to let them risk her safty.  
"If you can't even protect your own princess, why come here? Did you think   
protecting someone else's would make you feel less guilty?"  
"Uranus that's enough!"  
Yaten stepped towards her, tears flowing freely down his paled cheeks.  
"It was our queen's last wish! And even if it means putting up with you,   
we're going to protect this kingdom and its princess!"  
She only smirked.  
"What makes you think it'll be different this time?"  
"Well, first of all we didn't have a bastard like you critizing us!"   
Uranus uncrossed her arms, her anger begining to seep through her calm   
exterior.  
"What did you say?"  
"What, are you deaf?"  
"ENOUGH!" Serenity screamed, quickly silencing the room.  
"How are we going to fight a war if we can't even stop fighting   
each other?! Uranus, what you said to them was unforgivable... had   
it been me who died and my mother who gave you the order to protect   
their princess, you wouldn't have hesistated! I believe we can use   
all the help we can get to protect my kingdom, and they're all the   
reinforcments available! I trust them... Seiya once saved my life   
with no regard for his own... you should be thankful that i'm even   
here today. Please, Uranus, please try to get along with them. You're  
both so important to me..."  
She hesistated, clenching her fists as she glared at Seiya, who   
returned the gaze with an equal icyness, before giving into defeat.   
How could she deny her kitten her wish? The only thing she had ever   
asked of her?  
"Fine. I'll do it for you, koneko-chan."  
The princess smiled broadly, before shifting her gaze to her mother.  
"Starlights, you have my permission to protect my daughter and my   
kingdom. You will be sworn in tomorrow afternoon, and if you comply,   
you will do so for the rest of your lives as though she were your   
own princess and this were your own kindom. Serenity will show you   
to your rooms. I am so sorry about your kingdom... you have my deepest   
sympathies." the queen said wearily, giving them a weak smile.  
"Thank you, your highness."  
The three bowed and turned to follow the princess and her senshi   
out of the room, leaving the queen to her thoughts.  
Those three had been through so much pain and suffering... they   
didn't deserve that. No one deserved that. She could only hope her   
daughter would be able to free them from their infinite guilt and   
regret...   
  
  
Serenity crept silently through the darkened halls toward   
Seiya's chamber, the star-ladden night sky lighting her way from the   
palace's large windows. She knocked lightly, careful to avoid waking   
any nearby senshi... they could be quite grumpy when their 'beauty   
sleep', as Venus had put it, was inturupted. She knew from experience.   
The door quickly opened and she was met by a pair of startling sapphire   
eyes, gazing back at her with a look of almost suprise... and suddenly,  
she was nervous. She quickly tried to shake it, tried to slow the rapid   
beating of her heart, after all they were only friends. Why would she   
be nervous over a friend? Although, she hadn't seen him since they were   
children, and he was quite handsom...  
"Odango? What is it?" he asked, his eyebrows creased in worry as he ran   
a hand through his tousled ebony hair.  
She gulped, her eyes roaming over his musclular chest under   
lowered lashes. She itched to brush the silky black hair from his face.   
Seiya looked her over, suddenly thankful for the dim lighting or she   
would have been able to tell how bad he was blushing. She wore a blanched   
purple negligee that reached her ankles, a slit traveling dangerously   
high on one side and a neckline that plunged, hugging her shapely curves.   
It was held up by extremely thin speghetti straps, exposing much of her   
perfect and unblemished ivory skin.   
"I..." she began hesitantly.  
This was ridiculous! He was her friend, if not her best friend, and   
people do not develop crushes on their best friends! She looked him   
in the eye resolutly, pushing all thoughts and feelings concerning   
him to the back of her mind.  
"Nothing really. I just... i just needed to see you. I feel like all   
of this is a dream. I am so sorry if i have disturbed you, i know how   
late it is... and you were probably sleeping... but i..."  
He smiled, and she was thankfull he had interrupted her mindless babble   
before she sounded even more like a loon.  
"Don't worry about it, Odango... i wasn't asleep." he said, stepping   
aside for her to enter the dimly-lit room.  
She nervously toyed with her ring as she glanced around the predominatly   
gold room, carefull to avoid any eye contact in fear she wouldn't be   
able to turn away. Seiya stared at her, a small, barely visable smile   
resting on his lips as he watched the lights play across her features,   
seeming to her her long ivory tresses into waves of gold. He could   
still remember how her hair once looked, before the attack on her   
kingdom... golden, just like it was now. And however vague it was,   
he could still picture the small girl she had once been.  
"Seiya...?" she asked, unknowingly interupting his thoughts.  
"Hai?"  
"...Do you still remember the promise you made to me... just before   
you left?"  
He laughed as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, making her   
all the more adorable.  
"Of course, Odango! Didn't we already cover this?"  
"You gave me this, telling me to keep it safe until you returned to   
get it... so here. I kept it safe for you." she smiled, pulling the   
silver ring off her finger.  
"Keep it. It was never the ring i wanted... it was only an excuse to   
see you." he winked, provoking a melodious giggle from her, before continuing,   
"Besides, it looks better on you anyway."   
She smiled one of her amazingly beautiful smiles and thanked him,   
returning the precious ring to the finger it had graced for over   
eleven years. She then paused and turned to him, her small hands   
resting against his chest as she leaned her forehead against him.  
"Seiya, you're my best friend... please promise me something."  
He wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed the top of her head,   
but inwardly winced at the thought of being nothing more than 'best   
friends'... though he couldn't understand why it had bothered him.  
"Anything you want, Odango."  
She looked up, her cerlean eyes pleading with him, begging him.  
"Promise me you'll never leave me again... i couldn't stand it. I   
missed you horribly... please promise me, Seiya..."  
"I promise."  
He knew as soon as the words escaped his lips it wasn't a promise he   
would be able to keep unconditionally... but he was no match against   
those beautiful eyes, he never was. He would give her anything... but   
at the risk of her safty, he could never. If a time came that deemed   
it absolutly necessary for him to leave, be it to fight or anything   
else, he would have no choice. As long as she was safe, nothing mattered.  
His life meant nothing without her.  
"I'll hold you to that!" she said sternly, leaving no room for an argument.  
"I know."  
She sighed happily, winding her arms around his waist.  
"I'm so glad you're back! I'd almost began to believe you had forgotten   
about me."  
Forgotten about her? he thought incredulouly, she was the only thing   
that kept him alive all those years! Just the thought of her smile,   
her laughter, her adorable pout even, made him stronger, gave him hope.   
She was his sanity!  
"Are you kidding? Odango... believe me when i tell you this. I never,   
not even for a second, forgot about you. I couldn't even if i wanted   
to." he stated seriously, pulling back to look into her eyes.  
She smiled softly, allowing her head to rest against his warm chest as   
a comforting silence draped over the room. It felt like a dream... but   
his smell, his gentle touch, the soft sound of his heart beating   
rythmatically within his chest, it had to be real. She fit so perfectly   
into his arms, like the missing piece to a puzzle... and it felt like   
this was where she belonged.   
But she couldn't stay there, her mind told her, ignorant to what her   
heart wanted... she was a princess, an adult, here in the arms of her   
best friend, a senshi, a man. She was too old to be holding him without   
someone turning it into a scandle. And so, she released him, ignoring   
the loss of warmth and the incessant instinct that told her to never   
let go.  
"I guess i should go now... you're probably tired." she said as she   
turned to leave, smiling halfheartedly.  
Seiya returned the gesture, but with even less inthusiasm. He didn't   
want her to leave... he wanted to hold her forever, he wanted to be   
with her. His queen had asked that he and his brothers find happiness...   
Odango was his happiness, and he couldn't let her go.  
"Odango..."  
She turned back at the mention of her name just as he wrapped his strong   
arms tightly around her, leaving not a breath of air between them.  
"S-Seiya..." she said, a soft blush rising on her creamy cheeks.  
"Don't go."  
"Why?"  
"Because i... Just stay with me tonight. Please, Odango."  
He was surprised at his own voice, it seemed almost despret. But then,   
he was despret... he needed her, she was all he had left. Just this   
once, he needed her to comfort him, to erase all of his pain, to stay   
near him. He almost laughed at the irony of it. He had never needed   
anyone. He was the perfect solder, a senshi, he was strong... but somehow,   
this princess always managed to break through his barriors and defense   
systems, and made him want to need her.   
She smiled, seeming to understand.  
"You're my best friend Seiya, of course i'll stay with you."  
Best friend... he momentarily wondered why it always hurt so much   
when she said that, but quickly ushered the thoughts away and kept all   
of his attention on the princess in his arms.  
"Arigatou, Odango. I can take the floor." he said, smiling as he patted her   
head of ivory hair.  
"No way! This is your room! I'll take the floor."  
"You're a princess, my princess as of tomorrow, and princess' don't sleep   
on floors."  
"But friends do!"  
"Not tonight they don't."  
"Seiya!"  
"Yes, Odango?"   
"You're taking the bed!" she nearly growled, much to his amusment.  
"I'll take it tomorrow."  
"I won't be in here tomorrow!"  
"I know."  
"SEIYA!"  
"Don't yell Odango, you'll wake up everyone." he said sternly, obviously   
trying to hold back a laugh.  
He seemed to be smiling a lot lately, something he hadn't done in a very   
long time, and he had never realized just how much he missed it.   
"Seiya... please take the bed." she stressed, her voice dropping to   
a harsh whisper.  
"You're a guest in this room, so you take it. How am i supposed to sleep   
if i know you're stuck on the floor?"  
She scowled. It almost seemed like he was enjoying himself, teasing her   
even... but he was smiling, and she was glad for that. Even if it meant   
bickering with him over such a trivial thing, if it got his mind off of   
his past, it was well worth it... besides, when he was like this, she   
could see the child she once knew in him. She liked that child.  
"If you won't take the bed, and i won't take the bed, we'll both take the  
bed... deal?"  
"Deal."  
They smiled triumphantly, but it quickly faded, only to be replaced by a  
darkening blush as realization dawned on them. They had just agreed to   
share a bed.  
"Um... What side do you want?" she started nervously, breaking the awkward  
silence that had draped over the room.  
"It doesn't matter."  
"Pick one!"  
"Geez Odango, okay, okay... the right side."  
"Then i guess i'll take the left..."  
She slowly climbed onto the bed, glancing at him as he did the same. How   
could he be so calm about this?! It was all like a game to him! She pulled  
the soft sheets to her chin and layed back, turning to face the opposite   
direction. He leaned over her, reaching an arm out to turn of the lamp   
on the nightstand beside her, ignorant to the dramatic quickening of her   
heartbeat as he brushed against her. She ignored his intoxicating scent  
and buried herself deeper into the sea of blankets, though was unsecessfull  
in keeping her eyelids shut.  
"Oyasumi, Odango."  
"O-Oyasumi, Seiya..."  
After a few minutes worth of trying to slow her heart to its normal pace,  
she gave in to curiousity and turned to him. His eyes were closed as he  
lay on his back, his head resting on his arms. He looked so peacefull...  
nothing like a man who had just been through a meaningless nine year war  
and had lost everything in the process. Her poor Seiya, her best friend in  
the whole universe. Had that happened to her, she wouldn't be able to go  
on... she would give up. And all that time, as he was losing his friends   
and people, she was sitting here, selfishly waiting for his return and   
questioning his ethics. Tears welled up against her will and he opened   
his eyes, turning to her.  
"Odango? What's wrong?" he questioned, genuinly concerned, as he propped   
himself up on his elbows.  
She let out a sob and threw herself into his arms, crying softly against  
his chest.  
"Odango? Odango, what is it?"  
"I'm so sorry! I... i couldn't be with you... and you had to suffer  
alone! And i was so selfish... i'm so sorry, Seiya!"  
He smiled as he gently ran his fingers through her silky hair in a soothing  
motion, calming her trembling body.   
"It wasn't your fault, Odango... there was nothing you could do. Now don't  
even think about it anymore. Just go to sleep... i'll be here with you.  
I'll always be here with you."  
"I'm... i'm so sorry..." she whispered as her sobs subsided, his warmth   
and gentle touch lulling her to sleep.  
She was safe in his arms... she knew there she would never be hurt  
nor harmed. He would protect her always.  
He smiled softly as her haphazard breathing regulated and her eyelids   
drifted shut, her arms never loosening their grip around his neck. He   
carefully pried them from him and layed back, allowing her head to rest   
on his chest as one arm held her, lightly gripping her silk nightgown.   
He continued to stroke her hair and upper back until his heavy eyes fell  
shut, much to his protest, and he joined her in a deep sleep, neither   
ever releasing the other from their embrace.   
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Now on to chapter nine... geez, this is the longest fanfic i've ever  
writen! 8 chapters so far! And i ain't even done yet! Well, here's some notes  
that i doubt  
you'll even read but, ah what the hell... here it goes:  
  
You've probably noticed by now that the senshi don't have much of a part   
in this fic. This is because, one: this is a Seiya/Usagi fic and doesn't  
really need any side stories on other romances between the characters  
(though if a couple does get together, it will be said but won't be delved   
into); two: i don't really feel like it, this fic is long enough   
already ^^;; and three: if you look back at the real anime/manga, they   
really didn't go into what the other characters were doing during the   
Silver Millenium either. Sorry if you're dissapointed! Gomen! I completely  
forgot to warn you until now... ::slaps forehead containing useless brain::  
Baka! Baka! And i also just remembered (no thanks to my useless brain here)  
that in this fic the Starlights were never girls. Oi! My memory seems to   
be failing me in my old age!   
  
Well enough of that.  
  
Review! And thanks to all who have reviewed so far. I love reviews ^_^ they   
make my day. So go ahead and bug me until i get the next chapter out, i don't   
mind! (man that sounds sad)  



	9. The Prince of Earth

Cross My Heart  
Author: Chibi Haruka  
Disclaimer: None of it's mine but the writing.  
AN: Notes are at the bottom ^_^  
  
  
"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"  
  
Chapter Nine: The Prince of Earth  
  
  
Seiya smiled at Serenity's sleeping form, just watching her breathe,   
the slow rythmatic rise and fall of her chest calming him in her serene   
state. It had been nearly two months since he and his brothers had landed   
on the Moon, one of the few places that had remained virtually untouched   
by war. His gaze turned to the ceiling. Nights had become almost routine.   
Like clockwork Serenity would sneek into his room, at one time explaining   
that she had yet another nightmare, but as the days passed and the nightly   
visits continued, words no longer were necessary. He had often asked her   
of what the nightmares pretained to, but his questions soon faded when it   
was met by a reply no more elaborated then 'it was nothing'. And then   
every morning as the sun rose, so did she, and he was left with an empty   
and seemingly larger bed. But he understood. He knew how huge of a scandle   
it would be if word ever got out that the sepreme princess was sleeping in   
the bed of one of her new male senshi.   
Shortly after their arrival, he and his brothers had gone through an   
intricate Sacrament of Right, now bonding them to the princess by blood   
and honor. They were now in equal to her origional senshi save for the   
fact that their bond had been eternal, as it was chosen by the Gods,   
and he and his brother's were not. It was a bonding ceremony only meant   
for rare and nearly unheard of occations, but it gave them the right to   
protect her for this lifetime in heart, mind, and body. It was now as   
though they were one with Serenity.  
Over time the planetary senshi had grown to tolerate them, the inners a   
great deal faster than the outers. They would give no more than a   
necessary curt nod in acknowledgment or a conversation purely of bussiness   
that dealt only with their princess and nothing more. Seiya had grown   
accostomed to Uranus's subtle glares behind the everwatchful gaze of   
her lover's, for he knew that Serenity was of dire importance to her   
not only in the fact that she was the galaxy's light of hope, but that   
she loved her with all her heart and soul. He would often wonder,   
however, exactly what kind of love she felt, though he knew she would   
never leave her beloved Neptune. However seemingly mismatched in their   
sexes and personalities, he knew they were bonded by heart and soul and   
destiny, and they would always be together.  
  
Serenity stirred and woke, rising much like she did on every other day.   
She streched, long cremey arms rising far above her head as she gave a   
sleepy smile to him, before, with a friendly kiss on the cheek, leaving   
the room to return to her own chambers. And like every day preceeding,   
he would sigh, rise much in the way she did, and head for the shower   
to be alone with his thoughts.  
  
Queen Serenity sat upon her throne, concealing her boredom with a   
well-trained statuesque posture and royal gaze. The woman in the   
hologram spoke, black hair wrapped and piled intricatly upon her   
head, slender figure pulled into perfect posture by a bodice under   
flowing exorbitant attire.  
"Your majesty, i am requesting that my son meet with your daughter,   
after all, they have both come of age."  
"Yes, they have. And you will keep your end of the bargain, i presume?"  
"Of course, my queen. My husband and i will join the Silver Millenium   
and pledge our Earth to your allience, so long as Endymion is wed to the   
princess Serenity."  
The queen sighed. Her poor daughter... to think what her mother-in-law   
would be like. She had long ago developed a distaste for the queen of   
Earth and her haughty attitude, but for peace purposes had decided it   
best that Serenity was married to Endymion... she could only hope that   
he would be better than his mother. Although from what she had heard   
from the palace gossip, he was quite good looking, strong, a capable   
prince with an inborn sense for strategy and ruling. He would, if he   
lived up to his expectations, be the perfect match for her daughter and   
a powerful supreme king.  
"And i shall keep my end as well. When shall i be expecting him?"  
Queen Augusta's ruby lips curved into a smile, saffire eyes bright with   
hope that her precious son may finally have the fame and fortune he   
deserved.  
"Today. As soon as possible."  
She smiled wryly. Of course that would be her answer.  
"Very well then. You will be contacted when he arrives."  
"Thank you, your majesty."  
The woman bowed deeply, ebony curls falling far past her waist, as the   
hollogram faded from site.  
  
Serenity looked out over the ever-growing crowd below from the stone   
railing of her balcony, maids and royalty alike gathering around the   
ship that had landed only minutes ago. But the odd thing about the   
situation was not the tremendously large amount of people, but the fact   
that they were all female. She creased her brows in confusion, her chin   
falling to her hands. She had been informed that a guest would arrive   
within the hour, but did not see why this concerned every woman in the  
palace. She shrugged. Must be another suitor.  
"You'd think those women would have better things to do."  
Serenity smiled without turning, having already acknowledged Seiya's   
pressence far before any words were spoken.  
"Must be a man of great importance to gather nearly every woman here.   
But i really don't see what all of the fuss is about." she frowned.  
The door to the emmence and quite intricatly decorated ship opened and   
several soliders piled out, each wearing the same insigna as the ship   
held. The symbol of Earth.  
A man then emmurged and descended the stairs towards the palaces gaurds  
and exchanged words, jet black hair falling over stormy blue eyes, muscular   
body visible under his dark armor. She could certainly understand why the   
women were fanning themselves as though the temperature had suddenly   
risen... he was quite handsom. But a small voice in the back of her head   
reminded her she had seen handsomer. She glanced absently at Seiya under   
lowered lashes.  
"Who is that?" Seiya asked, utterly confused as to why this guy was so   
great.  
"The prince of Earth, Endymion."   
She continued, yet it was mostly to herself.   
"His reputation does not exceed him, he is quite handsom."  
Seiya rolled his eyes. Never once had Serenity remarked on a man's   
looks, and it almost sparked a bit of jealousy within him.  
"Oh come on, Odango! Don't tell me you're going to be one of those   
girls fawning all over him!"  
She smirked at him, raising an eyebrow.  
"I do not 'fawn', Seiya."  
"Fawn, drool over, whatever."  
"My, my, is the great Seiya jealous? I never thought i'd see the day..."  
Seiya's eyes narrowed as he turned to face her fully, yet his broad smile   
betrayed his dagger-filled glare.  
"Me? Jealous? I don't have time to be jealous, Odango... i'm too busy   
keeping you out of trouble."  
Serenity giggled and left the room, leaving Seiya to smile after her.   
He glanced once more at the man below, frowning in dislike, before   
following her out of the room.  
  
She sat upon her throne, beautiful and ethreal as he had imagined,   
moreso even. Tales of her beauty and power were well known to his   
planet and people. Yet they had said the princess would exceed her   
in all aspects, for she was a goddess fallen.  
He was quite handsom, the queen mused as she silently studied the   
kneeling prince before her. He had the gaze of a strong ruler, intense   
and unwavering, intellegent. She smiled. He would indeed be perfect for   
her precious daughter and kingdom.  
"You may stand, Endymion, prince of Earth."   
"My queen," he stood, bowing lowly,"As embassador of Earth i wish to   
thank you for allowing this meeting. The king and queen of Earth would   
also like to express their aprreciation."  
The queen said nothing as her lilac eyes searched through his saffire,   
boring into his soul in their intensity.   
"I have heard much about you, prince Endymion. Tales of the many battles   
you have faught have reached even here. Your skills, strength, and strategic   
intellegence are unmatched. But, do you believe you are truly capable of   
protecting this galaxy and princess?"  
"Yes." There was no hesitance nor uncertainty in his voice.  
A smile graced her features and she stood, descending the dias to stand   
before him.  
"Then, prince of Earth, i shall grant you that responsibility. You will   
wed the princess Serenity, so long as i have your solemn vow to protect   
her at all cost."  
"You have my word, my queen. On my life."  
"Mother?"  
Endymion turned towards the melodious voice, his eyes immediatly coming   
to rest on the angel it belonged to. She was amazingly beautiful, nothing   
he had ever seen could compare to this woman. Cerulean eyes peered out   
beneath long sooty lashes, finely arched brows knitted in confusion.   
Silver tresses cascaded to the marble floor, falling over bared ivory   
shoulders of flawless skin and a body every woman in the universe could   
not help but envy. He turned to face her fully, quickly shutting his jaw   
that had fallen agape upon the site of her.  
"Serenity, i would like to intoduce you to our guest, the prince of Earth,   
Endymion. He has my approval, my love. You are to be wed."  
Her heart seemed to stop its beating, her body becoming weak and numb   
as her gaze traveled to the handsom prince beside her smiling mother.   
She had been preparing herself for this day since she was a child,   
building a wall of acceptance over the pain of knowing she would never   
marry for love. She was royalty after all, it was her duty. Her life   
meant nothing and was nothing but a guardian to her people. She quickly   
buried the pain, and with her head held high, crossed the few remaining   
feet between them and curtsied before her fiance.   
"Prince Endymion, it is a pleasure to meet you."  
"No, Princess, the pleasure is all mine." he said silkily, brushing his   
lips against the soft skin of the petite hand he held.  
She smiled, yet it did not reach her eyes.  
  
Seiya stared out into the distant night sky, his thoughts lost within   
it's endless deapth. It was so cold beyond the atmosphere, lifeless,   
desolate. The stars, though glorious in their beauty, were fated to   
forever be alone. Was this his fate as well? To watch others from afar?   
To be alone? He and his brothers... they were shooting stars, they   
could not escape their fates. The void of space called out to him,   
beckoned him as if Sirens on an black ocean's tide. He could feel the   
flames of the aproaching war licking at the back of his mind, churning  
his insides with the need to protect the only person he had left in   
this world. He could feel it, and yet he could do nothing.   
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Serenity stepped onto the balcony beside   
him, startling him out of his thoughts, "My mother once told me that   
stars are the souls of people, and we must protect them and cherish   
them so that their shine may never fade. Do you think she's right? My   
mother's always right." her voice grew quiet as she turned away, tears   
pooling into orbs of crystal blue.  
"Odan--"  
"My mother has betrothed me, Seiya. I am to be wed to the prince of Earth."  
A thousand emotions pooled into his mind and heart all at once, generating   
a thousand words and questions, yet his mouth would not move to speak and   
his heart truly didn't have the strength to ask. So he did all he could.   
  
Together they watched the stars in silent despair.  
  
  
"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"  
  
It's been a long time since i've updated, i know, and i apoligize   
for keeping all of you waiting. But between being terribly sick,   
moving to another state (in a week! Wahh! @_@ haven't started packing   
yet...), fighting with my mom over whether or not she's moving too,   
nearly failing this year (due to being sick), and writer's block, i've   
been having a horrible few months. And i hate to say it, but i don't   
know if i'll be able to update for a long time since i'm not sure   
whether i'll have access to the internet or not (moving in with my   
dad and grammie for a while). So hopefully i'll be able to get out   
the next chapter before next Friday... but i dunno cause i gotta go   
to the hospital for some sorda procedure this Friday. Thank you so   
much for the reviews, and keep writing ^_^ They make my day seem less   
hectic..  



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